Secrets.
Everyone has one.
Some are bigger than others.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you ...
And some will end you.

Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.

They both feel it.
But they each have a reason to fight it.
They each have a secret.

And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you …
And some will end you.

Do Epic…..You are brave…..

Sigh I have to take a moment and absorb Bright Side. There are still tears in my eyes as I type this and my emotions are still a mess. I was invested in this story and these characters. This book slowly gripped my heart and didn’t let it go. This book was beautiful, heartfelt, emotional, and it featured one of the most kick-a$$ female characters I’ve read.

Today, my life is awesome.
I don’t want to think about tomorrow.
Or the day after that.
So I repeat to myself: Today, my life is awesome.

Kate Sedgewick is beautiful, caring, brave, confident, and an all-around amazing girl. Kate is 19 when she leaves her home in San Diego to attend college in Grant, Minnesota. Leaving San Diego meant that she had to leave behind her best friend Gus. Her and Gus have been friends her whole life and they love each other dearly but she had to leave so she could experience things on her own.

Kate survived a difficult upbringing and suffered heartbreaking loss, but despite that she is one of the most positive and happy individuals. She always looks on the bright side of things, hence Gus’s nickname for her, Bright Side.

Kate’s positivity and personality was infectious and she seemed to gravitate to this awesome set of people. While she’s at school, she meets some amazing new friends; Clayton (who I adored), his roommate Peter, and Shelly (who she ends up working with), all become a part of her daily life. They had fun with each and they could open up to her. She was an amazing friend to each of them with her encouragement, her love for her fun, and her loyalty.

I think I just fell in love with butterflies.

When Kate meets Keller at her favorite new coffee shop, Grounds, they hit it off instantly. Keller was sweet, smart, confident, yet vulnerable, and reserved in some ways. There was something about him that made it easy to fall for him. Their relationship wasn’t an instantaneous thing, they built a friendship first. Their flirting and moments together were so fun and easy and I wanted them to be together but they both had their reasons for not pursing it. They both had their secrets…

I’m always looking toward the future. I can’t afford not to. The future is all I have.

As the story progresses they fall for each other more and more and as they do they realize how much they mean to each other. When their secrets come out it was truly emotional. They both had suffered tremendous losses and my heart broke for them both. You become so invested in their life and story. Early on, you get an idea of what Kate’s secret is and it’s slowly revealed to you throughout the book.

It scares me how much I like her. She makes me want to say screw it all and re-write my future.

The flow of the story line, the unique characters, and the emotions the story invoked, all came together to create a wonderful book and it was truly amazing. I don’t think I have ever loved a group of characters more than Kate, Keller, Gus, his mom, Clayton, and Shelly. I wished they could be my friends. The last 30% of this book had me in tears. It was beautifully heartbreaking and I was a complete mess. My heart hurt but it was full.

Have you ever met someone who’s content and happy to her core? And when you’re around her it’s … contagious? Like you want to be a better person just so you feel worthy of being in that person’s life?

This was the type of book of that sticks with you. It starts off slow but the build-up and anticipation had me anxious to know more. I fell for characters and I wish I had half of Kate’s confidence, positivity, and grace. She’s the type of character that makes you want to change yourself and become more. She was phenomenal. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Just when you think you know someone, they change. Or you change. Or maybe you both change. And that changes everything.

“I love you more than you could possible imagine.”

“My imagination is endless”

“Good. So is my love”

Books by Kim Holden

Seventeen-year-old VERONICA SMITH has it all: a loving family, a funky car named Jezebel, and a plan to go to college after graduation. On the first day of senior year, she meets DIMITRI GLENN–a mysterious transfer student with gray eyes and a mischievous smile who seems determined to win her heart. But there’s something odd about Dimitri, leading Veronica to wonder if there’s more to him than meets the eye. Before long she finds herself in a whirlwind romance that seems too good to be true–until a series of devastating events leaves her questioning everything. It’s not until she chooses to think with her heart instead of her mind that she can rise from the ashes to learn the truth of their connection.

About Kim Holden

Some of my favorite things: reading, writing, the two coolest guys on the planet (my husband and son), my bicycle (my husband built it for me), Facebook (I’m fairly certain it’s an addiction at this point), iced coffee (hazelnut), and music (LOVE the 1975, Dredg, the xx, Haim, Teenage Bottlerocket, and 30 Seconds to Mars). I also love dreaming, which brings me to my next point. I have one bit of advice for anyone reading this … follow your dreams. It’s never too late. Get started today … heck get started RIGHT NOW! I wanted to write a book 20 years ago. Instead I waited. And waited. I should’ve been writing. But I didn’t. I don’t do regrets, because the past is just that, the past. But let me tell you there’s nothing in the world like achieving something you’ve dreamt about for years and years. So, get started. Make your dreams reality.
I love to hear from other readers. Send me a message or find me on Facebook (https://facebook.com/kimholdenauthor) and tell what’s up in your reading world.

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Falling in love with someone is easy. It’s loving when the newness has worn off, when life gets tough, when things, get in the way, when physical passion is gone, that true love remains. When love can conquer it all.~Mia AsherSource: ArsenTweet